ATLANTA -- Gov. Nathan Deal announced on Thursday that President Barack Obama has approved his request for a major disaster declaration for 39 Georgia counties that sustained damage in last month's winter storm.

The declaration allows the federal government to reimburse 75 of eligible expenditures and damage costs.

Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Dawson, DeKalb, Forsyth, Paulding, Polk and White counties, which were included in Deal's request, were not granted assistance because they did not meet the per capita threshold of $3.50 per person.